Tag Archives: volt

Building off of Alessandro Volta’s invention of the voltaic pile in 1800, batteries have come a long way over the last 200-plus years, bringing countless inanimate, portable objects to life. Today, literally thousands of products rely on them to operate on a daily basis. From toys to phones to cars, they make things go, work, make noise or do whatever it is we want them to do. Without batteries, these items are useless, motionless, boring pieces of plastic or scrap metal. Ever been stranded due to a dead battery in your car? How ecstatic were you when you were able to get it jumped, enabling you to hop in and drive away? Ever had a whiny child ask you to fix their toy that isn’t working due to a dead battery? How happy were they (or you) once you replaced the batteries and made it work again? How about a dead cell-phone battery; how useless and frustrating can it be to have a phone that isn’t working? Usually, these aren’t life or death situations, but sometimes they can be. Having a reliable battery in almost all situations can be priceless. SMART TECHNOLOGY The proliferation of battery-powered devices continues to expand as technology increases. Today, the buzzword for these new, innovative products is “smart”. Here are some smart devices that have crept into our vernacular, listed along with the specific type of batteries that power them: Smart Phones – It seems almost everyone has one. They’re “smart” because you can do anything with them, from surfing the net to emailing to taking and sharing photos to downloading and listening to music, and oh yeah, you can even use them to make phone calls. They run on small, lightweight Li-Ion batteries that will last roughly a day before needing to be recharged, which they can do hundreds of times throughout the life of the battery. Smart Watches – New, wearable technology, like smart watches, is becoming all the rage these days. Many of these computer-enhanced timepieces run on Li-Ion batteries like cell phones do, while others use Lithium polymer (Li-Poly) batteries since they’re able to be made in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. Smart Cars – With all the talk about Tesla’s Gigafactory plans, much is being considered regarding the future of electric car batteries. While many battery-powered and hybrid vehicles currently use 12V SLI batteries to at least get started, Li-Ion batteries, although huge in size, are gaining popularity among manufacturers like Tesla and BMW due to their efficiency and energy density. Still, economically manufacturing them remains a challenge for mass production. Smart Homes – Increasing home energy efficiency, safety and overall comfort has become a rapidly burgeoning business. Allowing homeowners to control their heating, air conditioning, lighting and appliances from anywhere in the world by use of a smartphone or tablet, these smart home systems are catching on everywhere, including brands like Homekit, Nest and Eve. The smart hubs that control these functions are often powered by common AA alkaline batteries, as are these other smart devices currently gaining popularity in homes today: Smart Baby Monitors, Smart Thermostats and Smart Locks, just to name a few. A MOBILE, PORTABLE FUTURE REQUIRES BATTERIES Developing more efficient, innovative technology relies heavily on the batteries that are needed to power these new smart devices. In order to continue increasing society’s portability and automation, batteries will continue to be required for the foreseeable future. This further proves that now, more than ever, there is simply no substitution for high-performing, reliable batteries.

Company Info

Batteries Plus Bulbs, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI, is a leading omni-channel retailer of batteries, light bulbs and smartphone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels.Through a nationwide network of stores, the Company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service.

Batteries Plus Bulbs is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. To learn more about one of Forbes® Top 10 Best Franchises in America for the past three years, visit Batteries Plus Bulbs Franchise